The administration officially recognized Advanced Drama as a sport recently, in a decision unprecedented at Redwood. This marks the first recognition of an academic class as a varsity sport.

At the request of drama teacher Britt Block, the administration decided last week that Redwood’s Advanced Drama senior class will be considered varsity athletes, and that its members will receive all due honors, including a varsity letter.

“The first school I taught in gave varsity letters for mathletes, for band, for drama,” Block said. “A varsity letter was a sign of pursuing excellence…it was from that philosophical basis that I made the request.”

Block said she is not attempting to propagate the idea that drama is a sport but rather that actors in Advanced Drama pursue excellence in the same way that a varsity athlete does.  “[Drama] requires going above and beyond the school day to make that happen,” Block said.

Block believes that any student team competing with other schools in an extracurricular should be honored by Redwood.

“I’m in favor of musicians getting varsity letters, any academic competition,” Block said. “Whatever you guys decide is above and beyond.”

Redwood is not alone in honoring Advanced Drama with varsity recognition, according to Block.

“When we go up to the Motherlode drama festival—there were maybe 12 other high schools there—and in those 12 other high schools, there were at least three or four schools that had letter jackets that had comedy and tragedy mask embroidery on them,” she said.

The drama program will give senior members of the Advanced Drama class a patch, identifying them as thespians, to be affixed to a letterman’s jacket in addition to a varsity letter.